


A Dinner in Hell

by AbstractAurora



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Bento, Dinner, F/M, Kidnapping, chapter 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-06 15:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3138776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbstractAurora/pseuds/AbstractAurora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inside the old lodge on Jabberwock Island, Nagito Komaeda lies on the ground, imprisoned. Outside, Mikan Tsumiki worries for his health and decides to do something about it. Set during Chapter 2 of SDR2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Dinner in Hell

**Author's Note:**

> This sprang from my great desire to have Free Time Events between people other than Hinata.

They did not have to be so harsh on him.

Nagito Komaeda chuckled lowly as he attempted to separate his chained-up wrists from each other. The chain, unfortunately, was much too tight around his arms. His legs, too, were bound together with rope.

The crushing pressure around his limbs was all too familiar. If they wanted to mimic his last kidnapping, they should have placed his body in a garbage bag. They probably should have also placed a winning lottery ticket in the bag to make it all complete.

Again he chuckled. How long ago had it been since the time he was last kidnapped? Maybe two or three years ago. Most people didn't concern themselves with the possibility that they could be kidnapped at all, much less multiple times. Then again, most people were not like Nagito Komaeda.

The Ultimate Lucky Student. Dangerous, trash, worthless in the long run. For the rest of his short life, that is what he would be.

Still, it could have been worse. The people who had taken him hostage the last time...as far as he was concerned, they were talentless fools. They were devoid of all hope, only seeking a piece of his family's fortune illegitimately. This time, there was possibly a far more noble cause behind his kidnapping.

Nagito sighed. Despite this, it was a tremendous discomfort to have his limbs tied up and made useless. His only relief was the few minutes he was allowed into the nearby bathroom. Otherwise, he could not move unless he forced himself to flop around like a fish out of water. With how tight the rope and chain around his limbs were, he was sure half of his body would fall asleep within the next hour. It was truly a situation brimming with despair.

But still, it was not like he had much of a say in the matter. Kazuichi Souda and Nekomaru Nidai were the ones with talent, the ones who bore the title Ultimate, the ones who had the power to face despair head-on and conquer it. Nagito, as far as he was concerned, was just a stepping stone for them. And if that meant being tied up and left alone for a while, so be it. He had as much faith in their talents as he had in his own.

Just then his stomach grumbled. Kazuichi and Nekomaru allowed him one meal per day, and that was when someone was kind enough to deliver him breakfast. Lunches and dinners were now nothing more than desirable luxuries. Then again, it was not like he was moving around much these days. Boredom was much more of a concern anyway. He had no books, or anyone to talk to. Until he was released from his prison, counting the tiles on the ceiling would be the most fun he had.

All Nagito could rely on to save him was his luck. Yes, his talent, as worthless as it is compared to the rest of his classmates' talents, was the reason he remained hopeful. Surely, he figured, good luck would come to him soon.

* * *

 

Try as she might, Mikan Tsumiki could not calm her rapidly-beating heart. At last, she knew why Nagito Komaeda had been absent from the last two breakfasts. Nekomaru and Kazuichi had decided that for the sake of their classmates' safety, they needed to knock him out, tie him up and imprison him in the dining hall of the old lodge.

Confronting that truth, or even thinking about them doing such a thing to a person made her stomach churn. Restraining him like that...to her, it was sickening.

Maybe she should not have been so surprised when the rest of the class collectively decided to keep him tied up. After all, they claimed, he was dangerous. What if he killed someone or otherwise caused a murder to happen? But she wanted to argue that imprisoning him in ropes went too far.

Of course, it was possible it didn't matter in the end. Trying to gaze at their future was like navigating a large room blindfolded. There was a strong possibility that they would never leave Jabberwock Island alive.

All day, Mikan's worries preoccupied her. She wanted to free Nagito, but she didn't want to go against her classmates' wishes. She wanted to be optimistic about her future, yet at the same time, it was impossible to tell whether she would ever have a tomorrow to look forward to. And when Monokuma introduced a new killing motive disguised as a video game later that night, it only ensured that the trapped feeling inside her would remain.

The next morning reminded Mikan of her helplessness. She cringed when she overheard a few classmates trash-talking Nagito over breakfast.

Was anyone else genuinely concerned for his well-being? Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu had spoken out against them yesterday, but only because he thought they were acting hypocritical. If anyone else actually cared for Nagito, she didn't know about it.

After breakfast, Mikan left the hotel restaurant alongside Mahiru Koizumi and Akane Owari. Her glum mood was temporarily broken when she waved to Chiaki Nanami, who smiled back at her. Ever since that morning, they had grown closer. She had Monokuma's new video game to thank, ironically enough. Although she did not want to have anything to do with whatever scheme he was planning next, she felt pressured to play the game anyway. So in order to prepare, she had asked the Ultimate Gamer to teach her how to play video games.

Still, the time spent bonding with Chiaki did not endear her to the idea of following Monokuma's orders. Nor did it make up for everything else going on in her life at that moment. Between Nagito's situation and the video game...there was not much left to be happy about nowadays.

"So ya really did it?" Akane asked Mahiru while they strolled out of the hotel towards the pool.

Mahiru nodded. "I had Hajime deliver his breakfast."

They stopped at the pool's edge. Mahiru then let out a loud sigh.

"Ugh, the whole situation is a nightmare."

"I know," Akane said. "Who knew he was such a freak all along?"

"It's frustrating."

For some reason, Mikan felt a restraint snapping in her. It was much like how she felt during the class trial right before she gave evidence that Nagito could not have killed Byakuya Togami.

"Um..."

Her two companions turned their attention towards her. She desperately wanted to speak up, yet their questioning faces heightened the anxiety in her body.

"I...is that really...d-do you really think he's a f-freak?" Mikan managed to stutter out.

Akane snorted. "You saw how the class trial went!"

"Well, yes...but...isn't t-that a l-little much?"

Her question was met with exasperated looks.

"You sound like you're defending him," Mahiru said, raising an eyebrow.

"I...it's not like that...!"

"Oh c'mon," Akane said with an eye roll. "It's not like Nagito's secretly a good person deep down inside his heart, ya know. He's dangerous. Hell, the trial shoulda proved that!"

 _They don't understand,_  Mikan thought sadly. They only saw him as an irredeemable lunatic. But she couldn't bring herself to defend him any further. She has always been terrible at explaining her thoughts. What if she ended up making things worse for him?

Besides, she knew perfectly well that Nagito Komaeda wasn't an innocent little child. His quirkiness, which often dipped straight into creepy territory, was just as disconcerting to her as it was to the rest of the class. But in spite of this, Mikan didn't see him as the blood-thirsty murderer everyone else expected him to be. After all, out of the all the students on Jabberwock Island, he happened to be the kindest.

"Anyway, I'm going with Hiyoko to the market," Mahiru told them, eager to finish the conversation on a normal topic. "Maybe we can meet up later."

"Hey, are you getting food there?" Akane asked her eagerly. All trace of Nagito seemed gone from her mind as well.

"Just candy."

"Sweet. I've got stuff to do as well. I need to find a good fighting partner, ya know? Get the ol' muscles workin' again."

With that, Mikan's two companions split off. She was left staring into the depths of the pool, wondering how they could so easily continue on with the island life. She personally couldn't help but let her worries overtake her.

So maybe Nagito was weird, she told herself. Maybe he was a little creepy. But he had also been kind to her - exceptionally kinder than her already-friendly classmates. His true nature may have been twisted, but there was a pure heart underneath the darkened layers.

_Why is he so kind to me? Why are any of them kind to me? I just don't understand..._

"Good day, Mikan!"

She looked away from the pool and saw a smiling Sonia Nevermind to her right.

"Oh!" Mikan said, brightening up in spite of her troubles. "Good day to you too, Sonia!"

"So I was thinking about hosting a small get-together," Sonia said. "It would just be us girls, like when we made those desserts a few days ago."

Mikan smiled wider as she remembered that day. Making desserts that afternoon had nearly wiped out any thought of Monokuma for nearly two hours...

"We would dress in our swimsuits and go swimming at the beach!" Sonia added.

To Mikan, that sounded just as nice. She recalled that right before Monokuma showed up, she had been playing in the ocean alongside her classmates. Maybe this would be her chance to make up for the ruined beach trip.

"Yes, that sounds like fun!" Mikan said.

"I will get back to you with time then. I need to ask everyone else, all right?"

Mikan nodded.

"Have a wonderful day!" Sonia said, waving her goodbye.

"You too!"

Even after Sonia left, Mikan was relaxed. For a few peaceful moments, she could forget her troubles and just get excited about the beach trip. This was everything that a trip to a tropical island was supposed to be. Not worrying about getting murdered, or one of her classmates getting murdered, or how Nagito was practically starving while imprisoned in the old lodge...

Mikan groaned. She couldn't stay calm with such life-threatening truths glaring right at her. Nor could she stand to leave Nagito in the condition he was in.

Question was, what could she do to help him?

Mikan glanced around the area. She was the only one left loitering near the hotel; everyone else was back at their cottages or hanging out somewhere. She specifically knew that Mahiru, for example, was buying candy with Hiyoko at the Rocketpunch Market...

It was then that she had an idea. Maybe Nagito did not have to starve after all. Maybe she could help alleviate the pain of going hungry. All that would be necessary was a quick trip to the local grocery store.

With her spirits fired up, Mikan began to walk to her destination.

* * *

 

The Rocketpunch Market was like many convenience stores Mikan had been to in the past, only this one had more items for sale. There weren't many places where one could buy five hundred different kinds of tea and a duralumin case at the same time. This trait extended to food, judging by the rows of snacks contained within the store. Surely there would be a healthy yet filling meal for Nagito to eat.

Mikan glanced at the clock on the wall. Pretty soon, it would be dinnertime. Unfortunately, Ibuki Mioda had roped her into playing more video games with Chiaki when she tried to go to the market after breakfast. It was all just so that they would have "triple the learning experience!" Thus, serving him lunch was out of question. She wasn't thrilled with the idea that he would only eat twice today, but there was nothing she could do about that now.

Luckily, Mikan quickly noticed the selection of food near her. An assortment of bento, or meals contained within a box, were on display. While they were not as appetizing as home-cooked meals, they made for decent supper on the road.

She studied the rows of bento on display. All of them were the same; they contained white rice, thin slices of broiled salmon, a rolled egg and a pickled plum. There was even a pair of chopsticks attached to the top of the box.

If it were up to her, she would cook Nagito his favorite food and serve it to him while it was still warm. However, she did not have access to fresh ingredients; a well-rounded meal prepared in a box was the best she could offer in a pinch. So she paid for two boxes and snuck away to the old lodge.

To Mikan's relief, no one spotted her going to the lodge. However, a stuffed animal prevented her from entering.

"Oh!"

If it weren't the door frame right next to her, Mikan would have fallen down in shock. Instead, she merely stumbled into the frame, denting the bento boxes.

"M-Monomi!" she gasped.

"Please stop!" Monomi cried, waving her stubby arms. "This building is being renovated-!"

"But I n-need to deliver Nagito his supper!" Mikan insisted, straightening herself out.

"Ha-wa-wa!? You know, too!?"

Mikan nodded, biting her lip. "I can't let him starve. Please, l-let me through!"

Monomi shivered at the thought of another one of her students dying. It was only then that Mikan could pass through and enter the old lodge without any further obstacles impeding her way.

_Even Monomi allowed this to happen..._

Her heart beat faster as she walked through the hallway to the dining room. Mikan had not seen Nagito since the conclusion of the class trial. There was something... _unnerving_ about not knowing what would come next. Would he refuse to eat? Act like the lunatic everyone thought him to be? Maybe he really was dangerous after all. Maybe bringing him food was a terrible idea...

 _Nagito is a human being,_  Mikan then told herself firmly. Even if he happened to be creepy or even crazy, he also did not deserve to be starved, tied up and abandoned. In fact, it would probably be best if she freed him.

Then again, she figured, she did not want to invite the wrath of the rest of her classmates. And what if he caused another murder? In the end, it would be all her fault. It would actually be better if she left him imprisoned in the old lodge, albeit with enough meals to ensure his comfort.

With her conscience cleared of guilt, Mikan opened the doors to the dining room and headed inside.

The dining room was exactly how she remembered it, barring the lack of elaborate decorations and food trays from the party. All the tables were pushed to the walls, leaving a large amount of space in the middle of the room. The only entity occupying the space was a bound Nagito Komaeda. His wrists were chained up behind his back, his legs encased with rope.

Mikan shuddered. The situation was even worse than she imagined. The way Kazuichi and Nekomaru had described it, she had expected him to be lying down flat on his back. This, however...the position he was in looked painful.

"Um..."

What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to act? Mikan, through her sweat, felt like she were the lead actress in a play she didn't know about, thrust on stage to perform.

"Well, well..."

Despite his uncomfortable position, Nagito Komaeda appeared delighted.

"I wasn't expecting visitors at this hour," he said lightly. "What a surprise!"

_How can you be so happy when you're like this?_

"What's that in your hands?" Nagito then asked, nodding his head towards her.

Mikan looked down at the two bento boxes in her arms.

"Is it toast?" he asked, his voice urging. "Did you decide to serve me a second breakfast?"

Nagito laughed at his own joke, but it sounded forced, like he was attempting to cough out something stuck in his throat. Despite his light-hearted tone of voice, she hardly felt any more comfortable than she did before she entered the dining hall.

"N...no," Mikan said. "I...I brought you dinner."

"You did?"

Nagito then sighed longingly and said, "And I was just getting hungry, too."

Mikan quietly wondered whether he was joking, or if his appetite was just that poor. Either way, it didn't matter. He needed to eat something.

She sat down on the cold, carpeted floor. Feeling the prickly surface against her bare legs only reminded her of the poor conditions he was forced to deal with.

When Mikan looked back at him, Nagito was shaking, like he wanted to break free of his restraints. It was then that she decided to finally untie him. After all, he couldn't possibly eat when his arms were out of commission - not unless she fed him herself...

"Here..." she said, placing the bento boxes down on the floor, "l-let me help you out of these..."

Mikan reached for the rope around his legs and unraveled it. She then freed him of the chains surrounding his wrists. After Nagito straightened himself into a sitting position, she handed him a bento box.

For the next few minutes, they ate in silence. When Mikan tried to foresee what would happen earlier that day, she expected the worst to happen. She was sure she would trip and spill their dinners everywhere. Or maybe Nagito would act just as crazy as he did during the class trial.

But as he devoured the food in his bento, Mikan noticed how...normal the atmosphere felt. The circumstances surrounding them were anything but normal - they were two oddballs on a murder-friendly tropical island, after all - but none of that was apparent in the dining hall of the old lodge. Here, they were just two teenagers enjoying a quiet dinner together. And the Nagito that appeared halfway through the class trial wasn't present at that moment.

No doubt he had a twisted mind, Mikan silently decided. But there was a calmer, quieter, familiar aspect to him. It was like he had lived through the same life she had lived. She resolved to make more of an effort to talk to him, regardless of what her classmates thought about it. Even if their disapproval would hurt her as well...

Before she knew it, both of their bento boxes were empty.

"Ahhh, that was a nice meal, wasn't it?" Nagito said, sighing contently. "Thank you for your generosity, Mikan."

Mikan grinned and felt a sudden warmth in her cheeks. The time they spent eating in silence seemed to pass quickly, but without any problems.

"Would you mind wrapping these around me again?" he then asked, gesturing to the chain and rope next to them.

The way he spoke, combined with the actual words spoken, caused her to flinch.

"You...you w-want me to tie you back up?"

"Well, I've finished eating," Nagito explained matter-of-factly. "I don't need to use my hands anymore."

"But I can't tie you up!" Mikan said. "That w-would be wrong!"

"Is it really wrong? Kazuichi and Nekomaru have the right to tie me up. They're the ones with the amazing talent after all. They deserve to restrain me if that is what they believe their hope is."

"What does that have to do with anything!?"

Nagito said nothing in response. Gazing into his sincere eyes, it occurred to her that as insane his words were, they were honest.

"You...r-really want to be tied up again, don't you?" Mikan said in disbelief.

With a shrug, he responded with, "I don't mind, really. I know that good luck awaits me in the future."

Despite knowing of his honesty, she was still visibly confused. She had nearly forgotten how out-there he had acted during the class trial.

"It's just like the killings that Monokuma wants us to do," Nagito added. "It is inconvenient...but imagine the hope that awaits us at the end of the school trip!"

"That's..."

Mikan still could not comprehend why someone would believe the killing school trip had a silver lining. At least one person had already been murdered, with more to come in a worst-case scenario. Even if he was willing to be a victim...

"I don't understand why you think like that," she said.

Nagito's expression was puzzled but intrigued.

"Back during the class trial," Mikan told him, "you were almost...obsessed with the idea of hope. L-like you were...willing to die for it. Why is that?"

He did not respond immediately; his eyes looked busy as he scanned his mind for an answer.

Eventually Nagito said, "Let me put it this way: What do you think hope is?"

"What!? Me?"

Now the pressure was on her to think. Still, she figured, she might able to understand him better if she answered his question.

"It...it sounds like some greater good..."

His eyes lit up, letting her know that she had guessed correctly.

"So, is that it?" Mikan asked. "You're fighting for a greater good in the end?"

"That's exactly it."

 _So all of his actions were for the sake of raising hope?_ she thought. Then that meant Nagito was only trying to bring a greater good to them all. Even if she didn't like everything he had done, at least she could admire what he was fighting for.

_Still..._

Mikan sighed. When she noticed his dismayed reaction, she quickly added, "Ah, I don't mean to sound rude...I, um, a-admire your passion, but...the w-way you present it...um, may drive other people away."

Even with this, he remained downcast.

"I'm sorry! I-I should have kept my mouth shut...!"

"No, you're right," Nagito said wearily, "but I'm used to it by now. My obsession with hope has been costly, but I know in the end it will be worth it."

He smiled after he spoke. Mikan attempted to smile back, although she also could not help but wonder if they were both forcing themselves to be cheerful. Was his obsession that worth it to him? Even if he drove other people away? To her, it didn't seem like much of a good idea to deliberately keep people away...

"W-well," she replied, her voice upbeat but careful, "as long as you're happy with that..."

Mikan then grabbed the chain and began tying his wrists together. She followed that with binding his legs with rope. The few times she dared to glance at his face, she spotted a few flashes of hesitation in his otherwise-serene eyes.

_Was it really worth it to him?_

"By the way," Nagito said cheerfully, "not many people would have done what you did. I am grateful for the meal, even if I don't deserve it."

Mikan paused.

"What? Of-of course you deserve it!"

After she finished tying the knot holding both ends of the rope together around his legs, she said, "From what I've heard, you're starving to death in here!"

He began to laugh softly.

"What? You're still growing. You need to eat more than one meal a day!"

With a chuckle, Nagito said, "Whatever did I do to attract this level of concern from you?"

It could have been an innocent question. Still, the way he phrased it had Mikan blushing madly.

"I-I-I...it's not like that!"

"Maybe this is my good luck," he said, excited. "Maybe I was blessed with the presence of someone who...who is an Ultimate."

Again he laughed, although it came out as a series of coughs. Suddenly, the room felt like it had been set on fire.

While Nagito was occupied with his laughter, Mikan grabbed the empty bento boxes and quietly snuck out of the room. A pulsing heat seemed to surround her she exited the old lodge.

* * *

 

Outside, the sun was beginning to set. The breeze cooled Mikan down somewhat, although not enough to tame her blushing cheeks. Her heart beat rapidly and her breaths were ragged. As she threw away the bento boxes, she felt like she had run a mile.

Still, Mikan also felt like she was floating. The dinner in the old lodge might have been technically uneventful, but there was more to it than just eating and briefly talking. It was like she had escaped the chains and ropes imprisoning her over the past few days. Right now, she could not spare any thought towards Monokuma, murders or her judgmental classmates. And to Mikan, it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

"Oh, there you are!"

Not even Sonia Nevermind's sudden appearance could calm her down.

"Are you still interested in our beach trip tomorrow?" Sonia asked her.

"Yes!" Mikan said loudly.

Sonia smiled wider. "Well, we now have a time. It will be at four o'clock. I do hope we will have fun."

"We will definitely have a wonderful time together!" Mikan replied, not bothering to hide her mood.

Sonia's face then became puzzled. Mikan watched her curiously, allowing herself to return to Earth for a moment.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You seem to be quite chipper tonight," Sonia stated. "Did you just receive some good news?"

Mikan blushed again.

"N-no, nothing like that!" she insisted. "I'm just in a good mood, is all."

"Well, I cannot complain about such a thing," Sonia said, smiling once more. "Anyway, I hope your happiness lasts. Have a good night!"

"Y-you too!"

Once Sonia was out of sight, Mikan exhaled loudly.

 _Sonia definitely noticed,_  she thought, as her heart continued to pound away. But there was no way she could know why she was so happy, could she?

Mikan exhaled again, this time contently. It was nice to have friends for once, even if she didn't understand why anyone was treating her kindly. It made up for the fact that someone was forcing them to kill each other.

Her mood soured when she remembered the video game Monokuma wanted them to play. Maybe it was a lie to believe she was free - she still felt pressured to play the game, after all. Still, that feeling was less intense than it had been the night before.

There were dark times ahead in their future. But Mikan figured if she stuck together with her friends, they would overcome any challenge Monokuma threw at them. That was the kind of hope Nagito talked about lovingly, right?

Mikan smiled to herself as she began to walk away from the old lodge.


End file.
